Recent shocking video footage of a slave auction in Libya brought renewed attention to the global scourge of human trafficking and modern slavery. Given its hidden nature, estimates vary enormously but there are reported to be millions of people affected. Since 1994, IOM has supported over 70,000 trafficked persons around the world. Despite considerable sympathy and concern from the public for the victims, little attention is given to how states identify and support them after they have escaped exploitation and abuse.

In the United Kingdom, potential victims of trafficking and modern slavery are identified and supported through the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). In October 2017, the UK government announced changes to the National Referral Mechanism to ‘radically improve the identification and support for victims of human trafficking and modern slavery.’ Welcome changes are being made in three critical areas: identifying victims, support for child victims, and the length of time that support is provided. Reforms in these areas are positive steps forward, but characterising them as ‘radical’ should be questioned as much more can be done.

Figures released this week show that 5,145 people were referred to the NRM as potential victims of trafficking in 2017, this was a 35% increase on the 2016 total. This enormous increase makes improving the identification and support for those referred to the NRM even more important and urgent.

The first significant change is for a new expert body to be created in the Home Office to decide whether people are victims of human trafficking or slavery. This means that UK Visas and Immigration, a division of the Home Office with responsibility for deciding who has the right to stay in the country, will no longer make decisions on trafficking cases. The announcement explains that this will ‘separate’ decisions ‘from the immigration system.’ This comes in response to longstanding concerns about a correlation between a person’s immigration status and the likelihood of them being conclusively identified as a victim of trafficking or slavery. For example, available data on decisions for people referred into the NRM in 2015 show 90% of people from Poland and 85% from Romania, nationalities with a right to residency in the UK, were formally identified as victims of trafficking or slavery compared with 37% of people from Nigeria and 30% of people from Albania, nationalities who do not. This indicates a potential bias against recognising people as victims of trafficking if they are from countries where their right to residency in the UK is not pre-established.

The announcement shows that the government acknowledges that decisions on trafficking and slavery should be separated from the immigration system. However, while UK Visas and Immigration will no longer make the decisions, the potential for conflicts of interest remains as they will continue to be made by staff within the Home Office; the government department responsible for all aspects of immigration control. The most effective way for the UK government to build an effective firewall between victim identification and immigration concerns is to move this process outside of the Home Office.

If trained professionals cannot decide whether a person has been a victim of trafficking or slavery within 45 or 90 days, how can this be enough time for people to recover? A truly radical change to increase support is offered by the Modern Slavery (Victim Support) Bill which would provide victims of trafficking or slavery access to support for 12 months. IOM supports this bill.

Migration is one of the key realities of our time. It cuts across communities, influences priorities, and shapes societies.
To realise the benefits of migration for migrants and host communities alike, our responses must be innovative, collaborative and designed beyond the immediate.